Hello again!

So I have just two more support groups to go and one check-in with a different doctor's office to get cleared before they submit my information to the insurance.  At this point, I am trying to transition into a lower carb diet, since two weeks prior to my surgery I will be placed on a 30g carbs/day diet.  This is to "shrink" all the fatty tissues in your buddy so the surgeon can easily access where he needs to go when they "cut" you open.  I didn't realize how many carbs I ate, was totally oblivious.  Just breakfast alone today, which was two eggs, and 2 pieces of whole wheat toast was a total of 75g!  I have some weening to do.  My strategy, and has been the last few weeks is each time I go to the grocery store I ciest buying something else that I normally would have in the house.  Today my mission will to be find a bread of some sort that has less than 18g per slice.  I am also finding that the 64oz. of water I'll have to drink post surgery will be another struggle.  They are saying in some resources I am finding online that you have to drink all of it, but when you are drinking your water you can only take two mouthfuls at a time.  Another area I'll struggle as I usually "guzzle" my water bottle to make up for not drinking enough up to that point of the day.  So, I will have to find some type of water mug that has the lines so I can know for certain what 64oz. of water looks like!

I have been actively seeking out hikes and great walks in my area to help me get into something I enjoy doing while exercising.  That was one good bit of advice someone had at the support meeting I did attend...find exercise you like to do or else you may not find the motivation to exercise at all.  This is true.  I do enjoy swimming immensely, however, at the moment cannot stand to look at myself in a bathing suit (First time in my life I've ever allowed that to affect me to actually do it).  So, I need to wait until I'm down 20-30lbs before I venture to that pathway.  Doing this research is helping me tune my mind into where/what/when/how I need to do things in the weeks before/during/after the surgery.  Being mentally prepared is so important, not only for the success I hope to obtain but for the safety during/after the surgery.  It still has an element of danger as anytime we go in for any surgery there are always chances things can go wrong.  Doing whatever I can to minimize that from happening is something I need to.  I know it sounds morbid, but I also want to ensure I have a living will along with the normal will in case anything happens.  I do not want my husband or family to have to make any decisions if for some odd reason I don't fare well.  I don't want to think negatively about this aspect, but it is a possibility and not preparing for it is not coming to terms with the seriousness of the surgery.  However, I have great confidence I will soar through this process and be on here posting all the wonderful liquids I have been consuming the days to follow the surgery. 

This will be a new lease on life!  No more back pains, no more tiredness, no more hating the department stores for the lack of cute things in my size, no more "noes" when asked if I want to do a run/walk/hike, etc...  No more NO!  I was never like this before and I don't like this world of "no, i can't do it".  Nothing has held me back before, and I need to do this because I don't want the second half of my life succumbing to this lifestyle of "I can't.".  What's the point of living if you deny yourself the simple pleasures in life?  I'd love to run in the park with my niece climbing up on the monkey bars with her and not worrying about what everyone is thinking.  Or be on a beach in the Caribbean with my husband and knowing the bathing suit is just fine.  Or being at the mall and telling the sales clerk that I need a smaller size, the one I have on is too big!  Vision is a powerful tool and it is a great way to get psyched up. 

So my mission this week is to meals to be up to 55g/day of carbs.  I just bought a book yesterday that has tons of this information about high proteins and low carbs recipes and meal plans.  I am going to conquer this!

Until next time....